FlightRecord

Norfolk (ORF) to Detroit (DTW): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

The calendar drives reliability on ORF–DTW. April 2025 flights landed on schedule 95% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 60% — a gap of 35 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
80%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
20 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.1%
Flights/day
1.9
last 12 months
Duration
1h 59m
scheduled
Distance
529 mi

Best airline from ORF to DTW

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Endeavor Airmost reliable88%6 min0.0%198
Delta Air Lines81%18 min1.5%668
Spirit Airlines79%23 min1.6%62
SkyWest Airlines77%26 min0.9%636

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ORF to DTW flights50%75%100%August 2024: 78% on-time (77 flights)78Aug 2024September 2024: 88% on-time (74 flights)88October 2024: 86% on-time (86 flights)86November 2024: 88% on-time (82 flights)88Nov 2024December 2024: 80% on-time (64 flights)80January 2025: 66% on-time (52 flights)66February 2025: 79% on-time (50 flights)79Feb 2025March 2025: 78% on-time (77 flights)78April 2025: 95% on-time (37 flights)95May 2025: 90% on-time (48 flights)90May 2025June 2025: 81% on-time (70 flights)81July 2025: 70% on-time (78 flights)70August 2025: 86% on-time (65 flights)86Aug 2025September 2025: 81% on-time (68 flights)81October 2025: 92% on-time (63 flights)92November 2025: 84% on-time (51 flights)84Nov 2025December 2025: 60% on-time (55 flights)60January 2026: 67% on-time (27 flights)67February 2026: 89% on-time (26 flights)89Feb 2026March 2026: 69% on-time (78 flights)69April 2026: 86% on-time (80 flights)86May 2026: 83% on-time (59 flights)83May 2026June 2026: 78% on-time (60 flights)78July 2026: 79% on-time (62 flights)79

Best time to fly from ORF to DTW

Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 12 p.m. departures (71%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ORF to DTW5 a.m.: 88% on-time (159 flights)56 a.m.: 90% on-time (335 flights)67 a.m.: 81% on-time (117 flights)712 p.m.: 71% on-time (165 flights)121 p.m.: 80% on-time (302 flights)134 p.m.: 74% on-time (178 flights)165 p.m.: 74% on-time (240 flights)176 p.m.: 74% on-time (63 flights)18scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday77%18 min
Tuesdaybest85%17 min
Wednesday84%25 min
Thursday79%21 min
Friday78%27 min
Saturday83%11 min
Sunday78%21 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft18%
  • Airline operations56%
  • National airspace system14%
  • Weather12%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ORF to DTW delayed?
20% of ORF–DTW flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 20 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from ORF to DTW?
Endeavor Air has the best on-time record on this route at 88%, based on 198 flights. 4 airlines flew ORF–DTW frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from ORF to DTW?
Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 12 p.m. have the worst (71%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ORF to DTW?
The scheduled ORF–DTW flight time averages 1h 59m over 529 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
How often are ORF to DTW flights cancelled?
1.1% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from ORF to DTW?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 35-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,575 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.